Mid-July.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University.
A grand ceremony for the installation of a Da Vinci surgical robot was underway.
Hospital executives, medical staff, and media reporters were all present.
The ceremony began.
Everyone gathered in an operating room open to the public.
Inside, a sleek Da Vinci robot stood in the middle.
The robot consisted of three parts: the surgeon console, the bedside robotic arm system, and the 3D high-definition imaging system.
The surgeon console was the control center for the robot system.
The surgeon interacted with the patient's surgical platform using the master controller, foot pedals, and stereo viewer.
The bedside robotic arm system, the robot's execution component, integrated instrument arms and camera arms, serving as the robot's hands and eyes.
The 3D high-definition imaging system was a touch screen with "remote communication" capabilities, facilitating communication among the surgical team.
Through the stereo viewer, the surgeon saw a clear 3D surgical field, the instrument head aligned with the surgeon's hand on the master controller, mimicking the natural alignment of eye, hand, and instrument in open surgery.
Furthermore, motion scaling and anti-shake mechanisms provided additional control capabilities, minimizing the impact of natural hand tremors or accidental movements on the surgery.
The surgical robot, while approaching natural flexibility and realism, maximized the range of motion of the hand and the field of vision of the eye, further enhancing the precision of minimally invasive surgery.
At this moment, the Da Vinci surgical robot had been installed, debugged, and successfully accepted.
A red ribbon adorned it, looking very festive.
Zhao Ming, the dean of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, addressed the media reporters: "Distinguished guests, the Da Vinci surgical robot you see before you, its full name is Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgical System.
It was personally funded and imported from Intuitive Surgical in the US by Professor Chen Yu of Soochow University's Medical Department, and is now housed in our First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University.
In 2006, the first Da Vinci Surgical Robot System was introduced to Beijing 301 Hospital.
Back then, surgical robots were a rare novelty: they were astonishing, fascinating, and not trusted.
Eight years have passed.
The number of Da Vinci surgical robots introduced to major hospitals across the country has reached 29, becoming an essential tool for top hospitals in Xia Guo.
It's worth mentioning that.
This Da Vinci surgical robot, now housed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, is also the first Da Vinci surgical robot in Su Province.
As soon as he finished speaking.
The scene erupted in thunderous applause that continued for a long time.
A Da Vinci surgical robot costs over 20 million yuan.
Turning it on once costs 60,000 yuan.
Annual maintenance costs reach 100,000 USD.
Annual consumables cost reaches 60,000 USD.
Ordinary tertiary hospitals simply can't afford it.
Even if they could afford it, they wouldn't be able to use it.
But this surgical robot, the most professional laparoscopic surgical robot in the medical field, can perform some of the most challenging surgeries in the world.
After the applause subsided.
Dean Zhao Ming continued, "Robotic surgery is the trend of the times.
Among them, the fourth-generation Da Vinci surgical robot represents the highest level of surgical robotics today.
It can perform all surgical procedures, including general surgery, gynecology, hepatobiliary surgery, urology, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and more.
In traditional surgery, doctors use medical instruments to directly operate on the patient's lesion site, performing procedures like excision, suturing, and so on.
But these surgeries have drawbacks like large wounds and long scars, which increase the patient's blood loss and risk of infection and postoperative complications.
Patients have to endure immense pain.
However, the Da Vinci surgical robot can perform minimally invasive heart surgery in just two hours with a small incision of just a few centimeters and less than 100 ml of blood loss.
Meanwhile, doctors can control the robot throughout the surgery to assist in the procedure.
Its robotic arms can rotate 360 degrees within the patient's body, with seven degrees of freedom, allowing it to operate in narrow anatomical areas and perform various precise movements like shifting, swinging, and grasping, with greater stability than human arms and no tremor.
Of course, to use the Da Vinci robot, one must be "licensed to operate."
To this end, our hospital will send teams from general surgery, urology, and other departments to Prince Wills Hospital in Hong Kong City for robotic clinical training, to obtain their operating licenses.
Hearing this.
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
The Da Vinci robot is currently the most advanced surgical technology in the world, and doctors cannot operate it at will.
Its entry requirements are high.
Doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, etc., all need to undergo specialized training and qualification certification, with extremely rigorous requirements.
Training is divided into four parts: system learning, basic operation, simulation training, and animal experiments. Doctors are trained in system construction, operating principles, selection of laparoscopic puncture site location, and more.
During this time, trainees need to successfully perform minimally invasive heart surgery, robotic-assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, para-aortic lymph node dissection, ureteral anastomosis, bowel-to-bowel anastomosis, radical cystectomy with ileal neobladder formation, and other procedures in animal experiments.
Upon completion of the training.
Doctors will receive a Da Vinci Surgical Qualification Certificate issued by the Da Vinci Robotic Training Alliance, granting them the qualification to operate the Da Vinci surgical robot.
...
After Zhao Ming's speech, the event transitioned to a media interview segment.
A reporter asked, "Dean Zhao, this Da Vinci surgical robot was purchased with personal funds by Professor Chen Yu of Soochow University.
I'd like to ask, after it's housed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, who will bear the maintenance and consumable costs?"
As soon as these words were spoken.
Other reporters also turned their gaze towards Zhao Ming.
They were all aware that Da Vinci surgical robots are typically not sold to individuals and only made available to medical institutions.
Therefore, Professor Chen's personal purchase was also in the name of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University.
But the subsequent high costs.
Would Professor Chen bear them?
Zhao Ming stated directly, "Our hospital has reached a deep level of cooperation with Professor Chen Yu.
After the Da Vinci surgical robot is housed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University.
Our hospital will bear the operating costs, maintenance costs, consumable costs, and training student expenses.
When there's surgery.
Doctors will use this robot to operate on patients.
When it's idle.
Professor Chen will use this surgical robot to train students in clinical practice skills."
"I see!"
Reporters nodded, understanding.
Surgical robots are the new infrastructure for hospitals.
This Da Vinci robot, now in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, will create the most advanced minimally invasive surgical treatment platform in the province, a clear benefit to the hospital with no downsides.
And Professor Chen can also use it to train students.
Another reporter asked, "Dean Zhao, are there any doctors in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University who currently hold a Da Vinci Surgical Qualification Certificate?"
"Professor Chen has a Da Vinci Surgical Qualification Certificate!"
Zhao Ming stated, "When he was pursuing his undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees at Fudan University, he had already studied abroad at the Laparoscopic Training Center of Charité Hospital in Berlin and obtained a qualification certificate for Da Vinci surgery.
In the coming period, when Professor Chen trains students, he will also perform some high-difficulty surgeries as the lead surgeon for our hospital."
A reporter curiously asked, "Dean Zhao, we know Professor Chen is a leading expert in theoretical medicine, but does he also have deep experience in clinical practice skills?"
"Yes!"
Zhao Ming stated, "It's hard to describe Professor Chen's medical expertise in a few words, but I believe time will prove everything!"
...
After the installation ceremony.
The medical community in Su Province expressed their admiration.
After Professor Chen Yu personally spent over 20 million yuan to purchase a Da Vinci surgical robot.
The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University will have the first Da Vinci surgical robot in the province.
They can create the most advanced minimally invasive surgical treatment platform in the province, elevating the surgical capabilities and research strength of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University to a new level!